Shielding container



Jan. 12, 1954 v. w. BALZER SHIELDING CONTAINER Filed June 18, 1951M5%NON WCBALZEP,

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Patented Jan. 12, 1954 SHIELDING CONTAINER Vernon W. Balzer, Van Nuys,Calif., assignor to Hallett Manufacturing Company, Inglewood, Calif., acorporation of California Application June 18, 1951, Serial No. 232,223

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a shielding container adapted to house anengine accessory such as a distributor, and has particular reference tosuch a container designed for ready access to the interior thereof.

In the design and fabrication of internal combustion engines,particularly small engines, it is necessary, for compactness, to mountthe engine accessories, such as the distributor, as close as possible tothe engine. In most designs the engine proper is provided with ahorizontal crankshaft and the distributor is mounted close beside theengine in a vertical position; that is, the adjusting shaft, whichrotates the distributor in accordance with spark advance, is vertical.Thus, the distributor cap is on top of the distributor, and for accessto the distributor it is necessary to work from above down into thedistributor.

In order to shield the distributor from water and also to preventradio-interfering radiation therefrom, it is the practice in certainengines to house the distributor in a metal container having a cap whichmay be removed for repair and servicing of the distributor. Because ofthe necessarily close mounting of the distributor and its containeragainst the side of the engine, removal and replacement of the containercap is often rendered awkward by other interfering engine parts; andservice to the distributor with the container cap removed is renderedeven more Y awkward because accessibility must be directly from above,downward into the container.

The primary object of this invention is to facilitate repair andservicing of an engine accessory such as a distributor.

A more specic object of this invention is to eifect such facilitation bya more readily accessible shielding container, so designed that theengine itself constitutes a minimum of obstruction to ready access tothe interior of the container.

In accordance with the instant invention the open end of the container,over which its cap fits, is formed on a bias, i. e., is disposed in aplane oblique to the adjacent engine exterior and facing outwardly oraway from the engine. In this manner access to the distributor withinthe container is not obtained directly from above, but is somewhat fromthe side, whereby obstruction from the engine itself is minimized.

In the accompanying drawing a preferred species of the instant inventionis illustrated.

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partially sectionalized, of a distributorcontainer embodying the principles of the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectioned view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken in elevation and showing anenlarged portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, II designates the container housing mountedvertically close beside an internal combustion engine block, theexterior contour of which is designated generally at I2. The housing Ilis open at the top, the opening being defined by a rim I3 disposed in aplane oblique to the vertical housing axis I5 and facing outwardly, oraway from the engine I2. The open upper end of the housing Il is closedby a cap I4 having a rim I6 matching and engaging the rim I3 of thehousing Il. A strap clamp Il, having an inner groove I8, receives andclamps together the juxtaposed rims I6 and I3.

As best seen in Fig. 4, the non-facing surfaces of the rims I6 and I3are tapered to match the taper of the strap groove I8. Thus, as thestrap I'I is tightened circumferentially by any suitable means such as aclamp bolt I9 (Fig. 3), the rims I6 and I3 are wedged tightly together.The facing surface of the rim I3 is grooved at 2l to receive a rubber Oring 22. The corresponding face of the rim I6 has an annular triangularridge 23 formed thereon, the edge of which is pressed into the O ring22, as shown in Fig. 4, to form a water-tight seal between the cap I4and the housing II all around the housing rim I3. The strap clamp IIforms the subject matter of copending application Ser. No. 218,619, ledMarch 31, 1951, in the name of Vernon W. Balzer.

As seen in Fig. 2, the housing II is generally of elliptical cylindricalshape. The oblique rim I3, forming the open face of the housing I I, isdisposed at such an angle that the rim itself is circular, so that thecap I4, being mounted to the housing I I obliquely, is simply aconventional circular cap of relatively cheap fabrication cost.

The container is adapted to house an engine accessory such as adistributor 24. Depending from the housing II on the axis I5 is a hollowboss 26, through which extends a rotatable adjusting shaft 2'Isupporting and mounting the distributor 24. Openings 28 are provided inthe side wall of the housing I I for the passage of electrical conduitsto the distributor 24.

The bottom cylindrical portion of the cap I4 extends somewhat below therim I6 to form a cylindrical iiange 3| (Fig. 4). The outer surface ofthe flange 3| is formed as a portion of the surface of a sphere centeredon the axis 32 of the cap I4. The flange Si engages and fits into acorresponding spherical concavity 33 formed on the inside of the housingrim i3. The spherical nature of the engaging iaces on the housing andcap produces a limited universality of mounting attitude, so that eventhough the cap I4 may be cocked slightly when mounted over the housingrim 1,3, there is still a large surface of electrical contact betweenthe housing and the cap all the way around the housing rim i3. Theengaging portions 3i and 33 also serve to limit the compression exertedby the ridge 2%y against the O ring 22 when the clamp I7 is screwed uptight.

In the manner above described, the instant invention provides acontainer which may be readily sealed against Water; which provides ex.cellent electrical shielding by virtue of the annular continuity ofcontact between cap and housing; and the interior of which is readilyaccessible by tir-tue oi the enligne, Qntwardiaoing mounting Qi the canii on the housing l i. It will be readily understood that the 'problemof sealing the elec-.- trical conduits where they through the openings.2t is easily solved, since. there. is necessity for providing meansiol.1 readily opone. ine inea@ as there is in the case 0f theA cap is.

While the instant invention has been. shown and described herein in whatis conceived to ne. the :nest practical, and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized; that departures may ne mafie there from within the scope ofthe invention, which is therein@ not t0 be limited to the details.disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope eli-the laiinso.as i0 embrace any and all equivaeniaiinaiatns and aniclea Whatsclaimed 1. .a shielding container for an, engine accessory: comprising ahonng fermed with an onen arsenaal monili cirnmscnned by a a @an f rmedwith Spherical flange complementary i9', V.; mfillih and adiusablystatiney therein. seid, een being.; mended with a n enrheral rimaboveand extending externally oisaid flange andL complementary Yto the rstsaid rim, andA mangi@ advancing. Said Hanse into saidtmoutn and one rimtoward the other and retaining ther in the advanced position to clampthe cap to the housing in Waterproof and electrically groundedrelationship.

2. A device as deiined in claim 1 wherein there is a groove in one rimand a sealing ring in said groove compressible by contact with a portionof the other rim.

3. A device as dened in claim l wherein there is a groove in one rim anda sealing ring in said groove, and a V ridge in the other rim contactingthe sealing ring and compressing same.

4. A device as dened in claim 1 wherein the rims are disposed in obliqueparallel planes whereby lateral access to the accessory is obtained uponremoval of the cap.

5. A device as deiined in claim 1 wherein the rims are formed withtapered external surfaces, and the advancing means is a grcoved ringclamp engaging said surfaces.

6. A shielding container for an engine accessory comprising a housingformed with an open generally tapered mouth circumscribed by a rim, acap formed with a generally tapered iiange complementary to said mouthand seating therein, said cap being provided with a peripheral rim aboveand extending externally of said flange and complementary to the iirstsaid rim, and means for advancing said ange into said mouth and one rimtoward the other and retaining them in the advanced position to clampthe cap to the.` housing in waterproof and electrically groundedrelationship. v

VERNON W. BALZER.

Referenties enea in the sie f this patent' UNITED sfrA'rEs rrrrerrrsvNumber Name Date 872,442 Morris Dec. 3, 1907 1,093,863 Leighty Apr.21,1914 1,256,876 Coatal'en Feb. 119, 1.918* 1,706,764: Wright Mar. 26,1929 1,953,913 Walther Apr; 31, 1934i FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 35,762,4 France Nov. 19, 1929

